St John's College Cambridge, Buttery dining room, bar and cafe, designed by MCW Architects

In a sensitive historic setting, MCW Architects refurbished the southwest corner of the Grade I Listed Second Court at St John’s College, Cambridge, originally built in 1599. The project introduced a new bar and café, and replaced the1970s buttery dining room. Historic window openings were adapted to improve connections, and early 18th-century gate piers by master mason Robert Grumbold were relocated to restore their original vista. In collaboration with Purcell, MCW adopted a ‘fabric-first’ strategy to enhance energy efficiency with minimal intervention. A prefabricated oak roof structure enabled seamless installation, ensuring minimal disruption while the College remained fully occupied.

Image Credits

Sketch by MCW
Photograph courtesy of St John’s College, Cambridge